Coarsely blitz up any leftover bread and fry with garlic and olive oil to make a crunchy crumb, great for sprinkling on pastas or soups.
35 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
These little Italian-style fish balls are brilliant for getting fish into kids’ diets. They’re really fun to put together, and little ones will love getting involved. This simple recipe heroes leftover bread and store-cupboard staples for a quick midweek family meal that ticks all the boxes.
Ingredients
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans
200g sliced white bread
1 lemon
2 x 125g tins of mackerel in sunflower oil
300g dried spaghetti
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
80g mixed salads leaves, such as watercress, spinach and rocket
Top Tip
Switch out the mackerel for tinned tuna or salmon or use frozen garlic instead of fresh, if that's what you have.
Method
- Boil the kettle. In a large bowl, drain and mash the cannellini beans with a fork. Briefly wet the bread with cold water and mash into the beans. Finely grate in the lemon zest, then drain and add the tinned fish. Season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then use clean hands to combine well, and form into 12 balls.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the mackerel balls for 5 to 10 minutes, gently turning until evenly golden – you may need to work in batches.
- Peel and slice the garlic. Remove the mackerel balls to a plate while you make a quick tomato sauce. Add the garlic to the pan with another drizzle of oil. Fry for a few seconds until lightly golden, then scrunch in the tinned tomatoes with clean hands. Season, and simmer for a few minutes, or until thickened.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked, reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain and add to the tomato sauce, tossing gently, adding splashes of water until the spaghetti is well coated. Pop the fish balls on top, divide between dishes and serve alongside the salad leaves dressed with lemon juice, a little oil and pepper.
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